Fastening means



June 15,1926. 1,589,063

A. PONDO FASTENING MEANS Filed April 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Svmemtoz June 15 1 926.

A. FONDO FASTENING mums Filed April 14. 1925 2 heets-Sheet 2 aVVLW/H 01 W fun-1:

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- for attaching their respective supporting members.

4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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FASTENING nus.

Application fled April 14, im. Serial Io. 88,002.

This invention relates to fastening means and more particularly to fastenin means automobile license p ates to An ob ect of the invention is to rovide means w ereby the late may be easily and expeditiously attac ed to its sigporting member from the front, and wi out the use of tools of any kind. Y

Another object is to rovide a device of this character which is a apted to rapid and cheap production and which issimple', efli in sedion Fi 3 is aside view partly in section of anot er adaptation.

supportin Fig. 4 is a front view of the parts in Fig. 3.

ig. 5 is a side view partly in section showing a modification of the device in'use. Fig. 6 is a rear view of theparts in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side view artly in section showing another modification of the device in use. a

Fig. 8 is a section taken online 88 of fieferring to the' drawings and more partieularly to Figs. 1 and 1 1 represents a member or braclret, a part only of which is shown, provided with a slot 2 adjacent each end and so positioned that it is adapted to be in alignment with slots such as 3, which are formed in the license plate 4 which is to be supported from member 1. The means for attaching a license plate to its supporting member comprises a bolt which .will be designated in its entirety as 4' together with associated parts to be described more fully following. The bolt 4' is provided with a T head 5 and a threaded shank portion 6, which has a tapered base 7 adjacent the T head and tapering from said T head toward the threaded shank.

. leat of the shank 6 is not rivete This tapered base or fillister portion is preferably formed of non-circular cross-section as with plane surfaces such as 8 (Fig. ,1") whose respective relative horizontal axes converge and whose respective relative vertical axes are parallel to each other and at an angle to the horizontal axis of said head,

in the present embodiment being at an angle of 90 to 'said'head. A wing nut 9 is adapted to engage the threaded shank 6. A

er or other somewhat yieldin washer '10, a metallic washer 11 and a 100 washer 12 are slipped over the shank 6 and then the nut 9 is screwed on the shank until the end of the shank passes therethrou h. The end of the shank is then preferably eformed or rivetedover, as at 13, to prevent the nut and washer from bein lost when the device is not in use. The T ead 5 is of a length less than the length of either of the slots 2 or 3 and is of a width less than the width of either of the slots 2 or 3. The tapered base 7, at its maximum diameter is of a diameter greater than the width of the slot 2 and at its minimum diameter is of a diameter less than the width of the slot 2.

The device in its assembled condition is applied in the following manner. The license plate is positioned, as shown, with its slots 3 in registration with the slots 2 in the supporting member 1, the T head is inserted through the-slots 2 and 3 in a sition parallel thereto and, when it has en passed through a suflicient distance, is turned at an angle thereto, preferably 90. It is then pulled back until the tapered plane surfaces 8 come into abutting engagement with the sides of the slot 2 and the nut is then screwed down. The plane surfaces 8 prevent the bolt 4 from turning, and upon screwing down the nut 9, the tapered base is slightly forced into the member 1 which further prevents the bolt 4' from turn' The T head in this position, prevents t e bolt from being withdrawn through the slot 3 and the license plate is thus firmly held shown in Figs. 1 and 2 exce t that theend over. In this embodiment the two arms 14 and 15 are provided with concave'end portions adapted to en age the supporting member 16, and are a. apted to partially surround a portio n of the member .16 when clamped in position. The member 14 is provided at its lower end with a hole 17 adapted to substantially fit the shank 6 and the arm 15 1s rovided at its lower end with a hole 18 w 10b is of'a diameter eater than the hole 17 and smaller than t e maximum diameter of the tapered base 7, but greater than the minimum diameter of the tapered base 7. In applying this modified device the arms M and 15- are positioned on the opposite side of the license plate 4, with the arm bearing the smallest hole, on the front side of the plate. The bolt 4 is now inserted from the rear passing through the arm 15, the license plate 4 and the other arm 1%; the washers 10, 11 and 12 are now placed over the shank 6 and the nut 9 is screwed on to the shank. The license plate together with the assembled fastening device is now placed in position adjacent the supporting member 16 with the arms 14 and 15 lying adjacent the front and rear sides respectively of the member 16. The nut 9 is now screwed on the shank 6 until the upper ends of the arms 14 and 15 firmly engage the supporting inember 16 to thereby old the license plate in firm suspension therefrom; the tapered base 7 of the bolt preventing the latter from turning in opening 18 of arm 15.

Another modification is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein instead of the T head 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a resilient head 19 is fastened to one end of the shank 6 as by rivetin and is preferably formed of spring stee The head member 19 is of a width less than the width of either of the slots 2 or 3, and ofa length less than the length of either the slots 2 or 3 and greater than the width of either of the slots2 or 3. This member is bent inwardly from its central ortion and the ends are bent outwardly t ereby' forming a resilientmember. In this modification, the washer 12 and the nut 9 are assembled withthe bolt member. After the washer and nut have been placed on the shank, the head of the shank is preferably riveted over, as at 13. In placing this device in operative position, the license plate is placed in proper position with re- 'spect to the supportin member 1, the head 19 is passed through the slots 2 and 3 and the bolt is turned so that the headis disosed at an angle to the slots. The bolt.

- s then pulled back until the resilient force of the spring head 19 exerts suflicient frictioh to prevent the bolt from turning; and

while still in this position the nut 9 is screwed down to a'degree sufiicient to cause considerable flexure of the head 19. This exerts a constant resilientforce which acts portions are of a width equal to or less than the diameter of the bolt shank 6 and the overall length from outside .8! to outside is less than the length of the slot 2. This washer is'preferably made of resilient material such as spring steel and is so formed that one side such as the lower side 23 (Fig. 7) is heavier than the upper side. The asher 12 and nut 9 are placed in position on the shank 6 andthe nut of the shank is preferably riveted over, as at 13. In placing this device in operation the license plate is placed in position, as.de-'

scribed above, the member its pivot pin until the top side 23 lies against the shank 6. The bolt, head end first, is passed through the holes 2 and 3 until the portion 23 of the head has passed the outer face of the member 1. In this position the 20 is swung about lower end of the head, dueto its greater relative weight, will fall downwardly, positioning the head in its operative position as shown in ig. -7 the bolt is then pulled backuntil the hinge or bearing portions 22 lie within the slot 2, in which position'the bolt will be held from rotating by means of the engagement of the hinge portions 22 with the side walls of the slot 2. The nut 9. is now tightened down until the head 20 is under considerable tension. The resilient properties of the head 20 serve to firmly hold the bolt and its associated nut 9 in this position, and the plate is firmly held against its supporting member.

It will be seen, after understanding the foregoing, that this device is adapted to be applied without the use o'f any tools. This is a verygreat advantage since the member 1 is usually positioned in close proximity to other parts, and tools may be used only at a great disadvantage, due to the limited space between the supporting member and its adjacent parts. In using this device, it is not even necessary to place one hand behind the. 'supporting member 2, since the entire operation of attaching the license late bf means om the of this device may be accomp ished front of themember 1.

While I have described my invention in detail and with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, I do not desire to be limited to such details and embodiments since many changes and modifications may be made and the improvements embodied in widely different forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof in their broader aspects.

Hence I desire to cover all modifications and forms coming within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A fastening device for attaching a license plate to a supporting member provided with a slot of relatively greater length than width, comprising a T head bolt withan integral threaded shank, adapted to pass through a hole in said license plate, said shank having a tapered base of non-circular cross-section adjacent said head and tapering from said head toward said shank, and a nut adapted to cooperatively engage said threaded shank, whereby when said T head is passed through said slot and turned out of alignment therewith it may not be withdrawn therethrough, and when said shank is passed through the hole in said license plate and said nut screwed down on said shank, said tapered base will be forced into said slot and will provide a positive lock against the rotation of said T head bolt.

2. A fastening device for attaching a li cense plate to a sup orting member provided with a slot of relatively greater length than width, comprising a T head bolt with an integral threaded shank, adapted to pass through a hole in said license plate, said shank having a tapered base ad acent said head tapering from said head toward said shank and having substantiallyplane surfaces whose respective relative horizontal axes converge and whose respective relative vertical axes are parallel to each other and at an an- 'gle to the horizontal axis of said head, and

a nut adapted to cooperatively enga e said threaded shank, whereby when said head is passed through said slot and turned outof alignment therewith it may not be withdrawn therethrough, and when said shank is passed through the hole in said license plate and said nut screwed down on said shank, said tapered base will be forced into said slot and will provide a ositive lock against the rotation of said T ead bolt.

3. A fastening device for attaching a license plate, provided with a slot of relatively greater length than width, to a supporting before the device is placed in use, whereby when said T head is passed through said slots and turned out of alignment therewith it may not be withdrawn therethrough.

4. A fastening device for attaching to a perforated supportin member a license plate or the like artlcle provided with a slot, comprising an integral bolt head and threaded shank, said bolt head joining the threaded shank by a fillister portion having at least one flattened surface area inclined to the shank, and threaded clamping means cooperating with said shank for clamping the late to the supporting member when said the perforation in the supporting member and the slot in the plate, said flattened inclined fillister portion then serving to bring the perforations into alignment with the slot and to revent turning of said shank within the 5 0t.

-5. A fastening device for attaching a license plate to a supporting member provided with a slot of relatively eater length than width, comprising a head bolt with an inte va1 threaded shank joining the bolt head y a fillister portion having at least one flattened inclined surface area, and threaded clamping means cooperatively engagin said threaded shank whereby when said 'l head is passed through shank is inserted through said slot and through the plate and turned name to this specification.

ANTHONY FONDO.

have signed my 

